


Arithmancy is so much superior to Divination and if you think otherwise, hate to break it to you, but you’re wrong and you should feel bad

by limeta



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Girl-Who-Lived (Harry Potter), Trans Female Character, Trans Harry Potter, Trans Lives Matter, Trans Women Are Women, divination bashing, divination sucks ass, fuck u jkr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:42:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25894603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/limeta/pseuds/limeta
Summary: Harry Potter is dead. Harrie Potter shouldn't have to deal with a prophecy that uses her dead pronouns. In fact, Abraxas Malfoy tells her that it's invalid then and that she's free from her burden.
Relationships: Abraxas Malfoy & Harry Potter, Abraxas Malfoy/Tom Riddle, Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter & Ron Weasley
Comments: 35
Kudos: 274
Collections: 5 Star HP Works





	Arithmancy is so much superior to Divination and if you think otherwise, hate to break it to you, but you’re wrong and you should feel bad

Harrie Potter did not know what to expect when getting accosted in public by what she assumed was a Malfoy. This person looked like one, but, he looked a lot less put together than Draco or Lucius did. 

He said his name was Abraxas Malfoy and that they needed to talk immediately. 

Harrie, not one to take Petunia's advice and go where strangers told her, decided to heed Hermione's advice and say: "No, thank you. I would like to live. Contrary to popular belief. Erm... yes. Goodbye." She turned on her heel and left.

However. How- _ ev _ - **_er_ ** . Abraxas Malfoy was not easily shaken off like Draco or Lucius. When he had something on his mind he pursued it to the ends and back if need be. What with Harrie wanting to stay away from blonde loons she got accosted by, such a tactic was necessary. 

At least, Harrie figured, he didn't grab at her. That sent her back to Vernon and Petunia and Dudley. Abraxas was above such pleb matters. He lifted his chin up high and followed Harrie. Not behind her, but beside her. It was, Harrie conceded, a tiny bit less creepy.

"What do you want from me?" Politeness and manners be damned. Harrie was going to get to the bottom of this. She had gotten separated from her friends on her way through Diagon Alley. It was very distressing to have to fend off strange, entitled men.

Abraxas gave her a warm smile. He gesticulated a lot with his hands. "It will only take thirty minutes!"

"Stop harassing me in public!" Harrie raised her voice, hoping to trigger the man's sense of dignity and pride. He had neither it seemed. Nor did he care for the odd looks he was getting. And, as much as Harrie hoped she would get help as their supposed saviour from Lord Voldemort, the bystanders weren't quick to come to her aid when pitted against Abraxas Malfoy. He was richer than Harrie. Wealthier, really. That was a difference that was astronomical and characterized how people viewed the world. 

''I'm trying to help you!'' 

''No, thank you! I don't need any of your help, Malfoy!''

Abraxas' eyes glowed silver. She'd never seen such a potent colour. It was reminiscent of a fair folk she'd seen in a DADA textbook. 

''You're going into your fifth year.''

''Congratulations on knowing basic math, given how I am your grandson's age.'' Harrie spat. She held her bag in her hands and clung onto it for dear life. Voldemort had returned. The Malfoys were his greatest allies. She was no fool. Abraxas Malfoy was probably a big supporter of him. If his son was marked, there was a good chance of him being as well. Harrie wanted to get away. She thought about running towards Ollivander's for help, but Abraxas was more experienced than her with a wand or with combat. He was much older than her. If she ran all he'd need to do was cast a well-timed petrificus totalus and she'd be done for. Harrie wasn't as stupid as most people thought. Especially thought, with unexplainable meanness, after Harrie had decided that Harry Potter wasn't who she was anymore. Petunia and Vernon and Dudley still called her Harry and used the wrong pronouns, but that wasn't who she was. 

''Listen,  _ Miss _ Potter.'' Abraxas steepled his fingers together and kept following her. At least, Harrie had to commend, he was being decent about this whole gender thing. She couldn't say that about lots of other people. ''I'm very happy to have caught you in public. Draco's not someone I can rely on with something so important. I have things to tell you. Things I cannot let my grandson know of in order to relay to you. It will take thirty minutes. We can go to any venue you choose. Keep it public, I don't care! It's nothing dangerous nor sinister in nature.''

Harrie curled her hand around her bag's strap hard. She was uncomfortable by all of this. But, a part of her did wonder what the Malfoy wanted to talk to her about. A part of her that was adventurous and a magnet for trouble (that she never really asked for). She nodded. ''Fine. You get thirty minutes.''

Abraxas' face lit up. 

They sat in a crowded cafe and ordered cakes. His charge, of course. ''What kind of stalker would I be if I didn't at least pay for cakes. What do you want?''

''Treacle tart.''

Abraxas made a horrified face at that. But, he'd made a promise, and he wouldn't judge Harrie's poor taste in pastries. For himself he ordered a chocolaty abomination the likes of which the world had never seen before. It looked like it was one drop of sugar away from sending someone into a sugary coma. ''I have fairy blood.'' He explained. Ah, yes, the fair folk did love their sweets. Harrie knew this from DADA class. 

They ate in silence, for the first couple of seconds, but then Abraxas seemed to have grown tired of it. He wore blinding robes that seemed to morph from one colour to the next, and then exhibiting all colours on the worldly spectrum at once. It was exemplary piece of magic. Noting Harrie's staring, Abraxas happily explained: ''Mon chou made it for me on our twentieth anniversary. He's very creative with his hands. Do you make things?''

Harrie was tempted to say that she made messes with her hands just by touching them or being in their near proximity. She didn't. Abraxas laughed. Ah. Harrie frowned. Mind reader. Hermione had told her about those. There were a lot of mind readers in the wizarding world that kept their skills hidden away from public scrutiny. How Rita Skeeter hid her animagus form. Harrie fretted for her life. A thing she was becoming less and less concerned about as time went on. Truly, this violence aimed at her life was desensitizing her. None of this was normal. 

''I shall keep this very brief.'' Abraxas lied. He would keep Harrie at this table for much longer than thirty minutes, but by the ten minute mark Harrie would be so entranced by the possibilities laid in front of her that she wouldn't mind. ''How much do you know about why - The Snake Man - came for you in 1981?'' 

Harrie had never heard anyone adult speak so lamely and without any fear or respect for Voldemort. It took her a moment to recuperate. ''Excuse me?''

''He looks like a snake.'' Abraxas said. 

''He does.'' Harrie agreed. She remembered the horror that had happened during the graveyard resurrection. Nightmares plagued her. She was going to lose her sleep and here Abraxas was, reminding her of it on purpose. The fiend. ''I don't know anything.''

Abraxas sighed. ''Of course you don't. Why would anyone treat a child whose life is so terribly intertwined in another wizard's life with any respect?'' The sarcasm oozed in gallons. Harrie almost cracked a smile. Almost. She didn't trust Abraxas. A part of her added a 'yet' at the end of that last thought. 

''Do you believe in Divination?'' 

''Erm.'' Harrie really didn't know how to answer that. ''It's an easy O.''

Abraxas stabbed the plate with his spoon. It was a loud, deafening noise. Very sharp, too. He stabbed his plate again, harder. ''Do you want me to tell you my thoughts on Divination?''

Harrie asked why any of this was relevant to the Snake Man. Saying that epitaph was hilarious and morbid at the same time. She thought about how Voldemort would react to hearing her say it. 

''There is a prophecy about you and The Snake Man.'' Abraxas didn't go into explaining what it was, even at Harrie's newly agape expression of surprise. This made more sense than whatever Dumbledore had vaguely tried to infer. Nobody, and this Harrie knew was true, had ever been this blunt about speaking about Voldemort and her. Out of all of the people she'd met, Abraxas fucking Malfoy seemed to be the only one that wanted to help. But why?

''Why are you telling me this?''

Abraxas' expression turned sour. His left nostril twitched in anger. The way he held that spoon would have killed any living being. Harrie waited, expectantly. She did not know why, nor how, but she felt no danger from speaking to Abraxas. 

''Someone must tell you this. Especially now since you are a girl. You have been a victim of this practise for far too long.'' 

''Tell me what?''

''The Prophecy foretells that you will, basically, and - okay - honestly- it's all hogwash to begin with - Divination is not a regaled branch of magic - and - okay - WELL - I MUST tell you this part. YOUR prophecy wasn't even made in a setting that can be verified properly. The only true Seers are those of Fairy Blood. Like the Lovegoods, for example. They're all Seers just by nature. Their gift from their fairy ancestors gives them the ability to make prophecies - though, mind you, even they cannot be held to the same authenticity as an actual fairy foretelling one's fortune. Those are accurate 100%.'' Abraxas Malfoy had a lot of feelings about Divination and how absolutely idiotic it was to believe in it, let alone teach it. 

Harrie heard how her prophecy had been made. Her heart grew cold and her tongue turned to ash. ''At a job interview?'' Where anyone's main goal would be to fib in order to get hired? Her eyes blinked. Her stomach sank. ''Dumbledore approved it?'' She couldn't believe it. 

''Exactlyyyy.'' Abraxas was going more and more livid. ''It's preposterous! Ludicrous! Nobody in their right mind would believe in it! You have been a pawn in a game fuelled by politics and war. Child,  _ dear  _ **_girl_ ** _ , _ you cannot be held accountable for the actions of adults that ought to have known better.''

Then followed an explanation about Arithmancy and how it was actually a much more accurate branch of magic. Abraxas showed her dated papers of his equations. ''I TRIED to talk to him, I truly did. Do not think me ignorant of the facts. Look, all of it supported that you were never a threat.'' Harrie was overwhelmed, especially because she had never taken a single class of Arithmancy. ''I don't ... I don't know what any of this means.'' Her voice cracked. Another bloody thing she had to look forward to, her voice dropping. Harrie breathed, steeling herself and trying not to be a mess. 

Abraxas didn't acknowledge her blunder. Even though she expected him to make a jab at it. 

''It means that Arithmancy has predicted that you would not be a threat. That is all that matters. Perhaps if you take a greater interest in Arithmancy I will gladly explain this in more detail. It can't tell you WHY, by any means. Arithmancy isn't that detailed. It is based on numerology. And your number  _ has changed _ . If it showed that you were not a threat then- when I had that name to work with - you are EVEN LESS of a threat now with your new name - and I do apologize if that's a bit intrusive but I had my grandson be a prat and spy on you to get me more intel about this new Harrie Lily Potter. ''

''Wait...'' Harrie's head was spinning. She was happy to be sitting down. ''Wait, you mean to tell me that by being a girl -''

''You've always been a girl! It took you a while to figure it out, of course, but you've always known. Your magic has always known. The Divination is fake. The prophecy is fake else it wouldn't have used your old, dead pronouns!''

Harrie was going to have a breakdown one of these days. She was actively considering it. 

Abraxas gave her a card he slipped from his robe sleeve. ''If you have any more questions about this or if you would like to negotiate peace with Mr. Snake Face, feel free to contact me.'' 

_ Abraxas Malfoy  _

_ Floo Connection: Malfoy Manor's East Wing Floo _

_ Contact reference: Abbie Mallory.  _

''Who's Abbie Mallory?''

''Oh, if you say you're meeting with Abbie Mallory, Snake Face won't try anything. It's a bit of a code of ours.'' Abraxas smiled and winked at Harrie. 

Harrie thanked him.

* * *

She wound up using the floo during the holidays to escape Umbridge and her constant deadnaming. 

The floo spat her out in what she assumed was Malfoy Manor's foyer. Voldemort was just sitting there, blanket over his lap and knees, book in his hand, giant fucking snake coiled around his neck and shoulders like a giant scarf. They made eye contact. It was the most terrifying and equally awkward thing that had happened to Harrie in her most recent history of Voldemort encounters. 

''I'm, er,'' He kept looking at her in absolute confusion, ''looking for Abbie Mallory?''

Recognition danced in those crimson eyes. He hissed at her, using parseltongue:  _ ''I shall get him for you.' _

Harrie nodded, expecting Voldemort to summon Abraxas by getting up and going over to find him. She didn't, in her wildest dreams, expect Voldemort to be too lazy to get up. ''ABRAXAS, COME DOWNSTAIRS!'' He yelled. It was very domestic of him. 

''I'M A LITTLE BUSY AT THE MOMENT, MON CHOU! REMEMBER: I'M TRYING TO FIGHT OFF A BOGGART BECAUSE YOU'RE TERRIFIED OF THEM. BLOODY THING GOT IN MY ATTIC!  _ MYYY _ ATTIC.''

Voldemort didn't dignfy much of that with a response. All he said was: ''The Potter girl is here!''

''LISTEN HERE YOU LITTLE - PUTAIN - MERDE - OH SHIT - FUCK - FUCK THERE ARE  _ TWO _ BOGGARTS. I CAN FIGHT ONE YVETTE MALFOY, I CANNOT FIGHT TWO.'' 

A series of tumbles followed Abraxas Malfoy's hasty retreat down the stairs. His hair was a mess. He looked as if he'd escaped a war zone. 

''Did you close the attic door?''

''OF COURSE I CLOSED THE ATTIC DOOR LEST MY BOGGART MOTHERS COME FOR ME!''

Voldemort turned to Harrie and gave a small explanation: ''His boggart is his mother.''

''Nasty, self-important, closed-minded, homophobic, ignorant woman.'' Then, Harrie assumed, more insults followed in French. 

Voldemort asked Abraxas if he wanted to take Harrie over. 

Harrie felt a tiny bit braver now that Abraxas was closeby. She asked Voldemort why he wasn't attacking her. 

Abraxas answered this by draping himself over Voldemort, who was, just a tiny bit shorter than Abraxas. ''Because he realises the error of his ways and has come to terms that the prophecy is utter shite.''

''Yes.'' Voldemort said. He did not speak more on it. Nor did he apologize. Harrie never expected him to. 

''Are we done?'' Harrie asked. She couldn't believe it until she got proper confirmation. 

Abraxas grabbed Voldemort's wrist and pulled it so his hand shook hands with Harrie's hand. It glowed, especially when Abraxas placed his hand on top of their shaking ones. ''Yes, bravo, you're both done now.''

''That is not how any of this works. I am done dealing with children, but the Ministry is still mine for the taking.''

''If you're going to enslave muggleborns then I'm not at all done fighting you!'' Harrie shouted. She was a heroine through and through. 

Abraxas couldn't fathom such a fate. He bemoaned their passionate escapades and proclaimed: ''Don't be idiots! Please, just take a moment out of your day and see the rational side of things. How am I, a Malfoy, the more level headed one?'' He turned to Voldemort. ''She's your sixth one!''

Whatever that meant to Voldemort, Harrie didn't know, but it was important.  _ ''Fuck, are you kidding me?'' _

* * *

''So, being trans saves the day?'' Hermione asked. 

''Yeah.'' Harrie said, goofy and disbelieving grin on her face.

''Hell yeah.'' Ron nodded. 


End file.
